A Hippopotamus For Christmas
by Arabian Princess
Summary: All Mariemaia wants for Christmas is a hippo. I thought I had posted this earlier. Written for various holiday challenges. Slightly AU. Either Zechs returned from Mars or he never left. You choose. Based on the song by John Rox.


Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. This fan fiction has no commercial value, and I am not making any kind of profit or income off of this story or the use of characters owned by Sunrise and Bandai. Words and music of "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas" by John Rox.

Note: Slightly AU. Either Zechs returned from Mars or he never left. You choose.

Hippopotamus For Christmas

"I've finished my wish list to Santa," Mariemaia announced to the entire floor. A few people cheered half-heartedly, some clapped a little, and others just smiled wearily. The child proudly marched into her new mother's office and handed her the list for inspection. "You can give it to him, right? Duo said you work closely with him, especially at this time of year." She looked at Lady with big, hopeful eyes.

Lady smiled. "Of course, I do." It amazed her a little that Mariemaia still believed in Santa Claus, but she was not about to burst the girl's bubble.

"Good, because this is very important," she said in all seriousness.

Lady smiled again and looked over the list. She frowned as every entry held the same item. "Dear, why are you asking for the same thing? It just says 'hipopautamus.'"

"Hippopotamus," the girl clarified.

"Well, that's spelt H-I-P-P-O—wait. You want a hippopotamus?"

"Yep," she said matter-of-factly.

"Santa can't bring you a hippo."

"Yes, he can. Santa can bring anything."

"It won't fit down the chimney," Lady reasoned.

"He can bring it through the front door."

"He can't bring it because a hippo could harm you."

"How?"

"It could eat you."

"Teacher says a hippo is a vegetarian."

"Hippos are still dangerous. They have tusks that can hurt you, and they charge at people all the time. You could get trampled or hurt by its tusks."

"My hippo won't do that. I'll be his friend, so he won't hurt me."

Lady held her tongue. Mariemaia was at the stage where she held onto childish things but could make an almost adult argument for it.

"We have no place to keep a hippo," she again tried to reason with the child.

"It could stay in the old hangar," the girl countered. "I'll feed him and wash him and even massage him if his muscles get cramps. Wufei said that might happen. I'd give him my vegetables, too, since I don't want them, and Duo said it won't be wasteful then."

Lady made a mental note to discuss this with Wufei and Duo and to remember this at their next evaluations.

"Are we checking our list twice?" Zechs asked as he slipped into the office.

Mariemaia stood up excitedly. "Mom's looking over my list for Santa. She's going to give it to Santa."

"What do you want?" He held out his hand to take the list.

"A hippopotamus!" the lass exclaimed and jumped a little. "I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you?"

"Of course not," he laughed. "But how will he get him in your house?"

"He can use the front door instead of the chimney, and Henry can live in the old hangar. He won't hurt me because I'll be his friend. He won't be any trouble at all!"

"Henry? You've picked out a name already?"

"Trowa said it was a fitting name for a hippo, and he knows animals."

Lady put Trowa's name in with Wufei and Duo. It was a shame; she had once liked the young man.

"Well, if anyone would know what to name a hippo, it would be Trowa."

"I know," she said wisely.

"It sounds as if you've thought this out pretty thoroughly."

"Well, when you're getting a hippopotamus, you have to make sure you're ready."

He nodded. "Yes, that's true. You don't want to get one and then have no idea how to care for it. However, don't you want anything else?"

"You, Mom, and everyone else will give me other things I want, like barrettes and that new computer," she hinted heavily on the computer. "However, I only want a hippo from Santa. I think he can manage if he only has to get me one gift this year. Last year I asked for the world, and I _almost_ got it. A hippo is a lot smaller than the world, so surely he can deliver _that_."

"You didn't _almost_ get the world," he argued.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure. Anyway, I've been loads nicer this year than last, so do you think he'll get me what I want?"

"I'm sure Santa will bring you a big, fat hippo."

Mariemaia squealed in delight. "Can't you just see it? Go downstairs and see a hippo just waiting for me! He'd wear a bow just like on the car commercials!"

Zechs laughed. "I'm sure Henry will be there on Christmas morning."

She giggled and started singing "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas."

Lady asked her to leave so that she could have a private chat with Zechs.

"What the hell are you doing?" she hissed. "Telling her she'll get a hippo? I know _for certain_ Santa won't be bringing her one, and you better not bring her one either."

"I have an idea for a gift."

"What is it?"

"It's a surprise."

"Zechs," she said warningly.

"You'll have to trust me."

"Don't make promises like that."

"Why not?"

"Because either way, you're going to be in hot water with _me_!"

* * *

Mariemaia woke up quite early on Christmas morning, but she was sure Santa had already made his run. She looked into her mother's room, but she and Zechs were still asleep. She tiptoed down the stairs and peeked into the living room. Her face fell as she saw it was only filled with presents. She sighed and headed back upstairs. She would have to wait for the other two to get up before she could open her presents.

* * *

Hours later, she woke up Lady and Zechs to head downstairs once again. Knowing what was coming—or rather what was not—she wore a big smile. Still Lady could see the disappointment, and she gave Zechs warning looks through the whole ordeal. Mariemaia took down her stocking and spilled the goodies, going through each treat carefully. Then Zechs had a surprise. Mariemaia could only open five of her presents. The rest would have to wait until after his present.

"That's not fair!" she protested. "First I don't get a hippo, and now you won't let me open the gifts I _did_ get?"

Lady made a noise in the back of her throat while drank her coffee.

"A hippo is a large gift. Perhaps St. Nick is just late in bringing it?" he suggested. "In any case, this is part of your gift, and if you open all your presents before we leave, it'll be too late."

Thus it happened that Mariemaia only got to open five gifts: two shirts, a book, a video game, and a movie. Then she had to bundle up and head out into the cold with Lady and Zechs.

Their destination was the zoo. Both Mariemaia and Lady remarked that they were surprised it was open on Christmas. Lady clearly suspected Zechs had a hand in its opening, but he would not say how or why it was open today. However, they were not the only ones in the zoo. There were many other children getting a holiday delight in seeing the animals.

"Are we here to pick up my gift?" Mariemaia asked hopefully, though she doubted they were. Zechs just smiled. They went and saw the pandas, but Mariemaia rushed through the enclosure.

"We have to hurry," she insisted.

"Don't rush through your gift," he warned.

"This isn't much of a present. I can come to the zoo any day."

Lady reprimanded and told her to apologize.

She did so reluctantly but still ran to the next animal. She saw the birds, the primates, and the tigers in a blur. She did not even bother to enter the reptile enclosure, and she took a shortcut so that she would not have to stop at the bears. The adults protested this, but she ignored them. By his demeanor, she was becoming more and more convinced that she _was_ getting a hippo for Christmas and Zechs was saving it for the very end of their visit. She slowed down when she got to the African section.

"Magnificent creatures," Lady murmured as they took a moment to watch the giraffes, zebras, and rhinoceroses. Their enclosures were kept at the precise whether conditions of their native lands using the technology of the colonies in sync with weather machines in Africa. Hence, the animals were sheltered from the cold that assaulted the humans.

"Should I buy you one?" Zechs smirked.

"No!" the girl quipped before her mother could. "It might hurt my hippo. I only want a hippo, no zebras or giraffes or rhinoceroses."

Lady smiled. "There you have it. I can't have one." Under her breath, she muttered to the man, "I think you've done _enough_ already. If you've seriously bought her a hippopotamus, so help me, I'll…."

"Hold that thought for a moment," he mumbled. He turned to Mariemaia and exclaimed, pointing, "Look! Here come the hippos."

All the children ran over and crowded the railing, pushing any nearby adult back. Shouts of glee came as the large beasts emerged. The children cheered as one blew water out of its nostrils. After a few minutes of watching in amazement and joy, Mariemaia pushed her way out of the crowd and looked to Zechs.

"Which one's mine?"

"Which one do you like?"

Her eyes widened. "_I_ get to choose which one I want?" She hurried over to the sign giving each hippo's name and description. She climbed the rail in order to compare the animals to the descriptions. When she was convinced she knew which hippopotamus she wanted, she hopped down and skipped back over to the couple.

"I want Henry. They have one with the perfect name! I have to have him!" she grinned as widely as she possibly could.

Zechs had her point out which one Henry was, and she did so enthusiastically. He noted which one it was and nodded. Then, he announced they should move on to the next animal. Mariemaia's face fell once more.

"What?" she asked. "You're not getting him?"

"What kind of present would it be if it wasn't a surprise? If I let you pick it out?" he inquired. She nodded her head and said she just wanted to go home. Yes, she was sure she wanted to go home. They headed home, with Mariemaia quite letdown and Lady quite upset with Zechs. Zechs seemed oblivious to both of them.

Once they got home, he stopped the females from going up the front stairs.

"The surprise should be ready by now," he announced. He pressed a button, and the door to the hangar opened. Mariemaia yelled in excitement and ran inside, flinging her arms around a life size hippopotamus stuffed animal named Henry.


End file.
